The Colored Carnegie Library
The Houston Public Library opened in 1895, allowing entry to “all users” for a small fee. Houston’s Black readers quickly realized that “”all users” did not include them.
In response, Black Houstonians, with the gracious assistance of Julia Ideson, created their own library branch in 1909. This library was located in a high school room and left much to be desired for the growing Black population.
Local residents and community leaders appealed to Booker T. Washington for assistance building a standalone library. Booker T. Washington reached out to wealthy steel magnate and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie had previously funded a library for Washington’s school, the Tuskegee Institute.
Frances Benjamin Johnston / 1906
Booker T. Washington and Andrew Carnegie are sitting beside each other, front center.
Carnegie agreed to a $15,000 construction grant and The Negro Library Fund acquired the land at 1112 Frederick for $1,500. Booker T. Washington’s son-in-law, William Sydney Pittman, designed the building and Julia Ideson signed on to personally train the library’s staff.
In 1912, the library’s construction was officially in motion and the Colored Carnegie Library opened to the public in 1913.
Sadly, the Colored Carnegie Library was demolished in 1962 during the Clay Street extension project. This one was quite a loss as it was a beautiful building and important piece of Houston’s history.
Photos of the Colored Carnegie Library
